Pearl Jam and Repetition

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[LoathedVermin72]

Nothing as it Seems and Thumbing My Way are the most boring static DOA songs in their catalog

Agree 100%.

don't you put those filthy words in my mouth you motherfucker

[wease]

Light Years is a song where I didn't really like it on the album. It wasn't until I started listening to it on the boots that it really opened up for me.

And it's very interesting that you don't like it but like Thumbing My Way since TMW started as Light Years in its original form.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[LoathedVermin72]

it started as Light Years in its original form.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Strat]

Is this a known thing?

Well the chord progression in puzzles and games is the main chord progression for thumbing my way

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[LoathedVermin72]

i got your bitter right here

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[LoathedVermin72]

i got your bitter right here

I hate when strangers randomly say "hi" or "hello" to me. I mean, leave me alone.

wtf

[Kevin Davis]

I have enjoyed your posts, Mike Jason, but I just don't even register what you're trying to say in your original post. Seems like Pearl Jam's songs have always followed a relatively customary pattern of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, middle (instrumental section, bridge, etc), final chorus. Both "Even Flow" and "Light Years" (I zero in on these two since they're the two you chose for your example) pretty much follow this exact structure. I wonder if the "dragging on forever" you describe isn't simply a result of compositions you're not moved by having long running times, rather than something technical in the song structures.

[mikejasond]

I have enjoyed your posts, Mike Jason, but I just don't even register what you're trying to say in your original post. Seems like Pearl Jam's songs have always followed a relatively customary pattern of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, middle (instrumental section, bridge, etc), final chorus. Both "Even Flow" and "Light Years" (I zero in on these two since they're the two you chose for your example) pretty much follow this exact structure. I wonder if the "dragging on forever" you describe isn't simply a result of compositions you're not moved by having long running times, rather than something technical in the song structures.

Even Flow is not one of the most dynamic pearl jam songs, Id bring up other examples before this one...but a lot of songs do not just follow that simple structure. In a simple sense I guess Better Man and Corduroy do but that's an oversimplication because there is a lot of interesting things going on in these songs' compositions.

As for Even Flow, at least it has a bit more variation in its background than Light Years does. The section in between the second and third choruses is full of interesting changes and fresh parts.

[wease]

So, you like the rocking, jammy parts and don't like the more introspective, moody parts. Right?

[mikejasond]

Its not about that, its about the song going somewhere, and not just repeating the same parts statically

[digster]

I'm interested that you point to Better Man as an example for what you're looking for, as to me it's defined by it's repetitive, sing-along chorus. It's one of the main strengths of the song, really; it tweaks the tropes of a typical pop song while employing the tropes at the same time, and one of those is a very simple, repetitive chorus. It's the most R.E.M. the band has ever been.

[digster]

I don't think you put much thought into this one, mjd

To be fair, he doesn't need to. Talking about art is an imperfect process; we try to find words to describe what we're experiencing, and only in a group setting can we sometimes get to the heart of our experience.

I'm not saying MJD isn't a little trigger happy with the "submit" button -- he obviously is -- but I don't want him to feel discouraged to share more in the future. He's like a more innocent Stip, which seems like a good thing to have around.

Absolutely agreed.

[wease]

Its not about that, its about the song going somewhere, and not just repeating the same parts statically

And you don't think the middle section in Even Flow does just that?!?!?!? It's the same thing over and over and over!

[mikejasond]

I'm interested that you point to Better Man as an example for what you're looking for, as to me it's defined by it's repetitive, sing-along chorus. It's one of the main strengths of the song, really; it tweaks the tropes of a typical pop song while employing the tropes at the same time, and one of those is a very simple, repetitive chorus. It's the most R.E.M. the band has ever been.

But it really DOESN'T have a repetitive chorus. In fact, not one section of the song repeats. The first chorus is soft, slow, and delicate over an organ, the second chorus is the same melody but with a VERY different instrumentation and moving feel, and then later it has a modified chorus with a different (awesome) melody.

[mikejasond]

Its not about that, its about the song going somewhere, and not just repeating the same parts statically

And you don't think the middle section in Even Flow does just that?!?!?!? It's the same thing over and over and over!

No it isn't. You start with a modification on the main riff with distorted guitars and Eddie adlibbing, then the instrumentation cleans up, the riff drops out and it gets a bit more barebones, with the focus on a guitar solo and drums in the background, then it takes things down even further with just drums and bass mostly, and a very very clean version of the riff slowly starts to come back in, the song builds and builds and builds and builds, adding more distorted guitars, louder drums, and then BOOM chorus.